Mahama to uncap NHIF to make national health insurance more beneficial to Ghanaians

It would be recalled that the Earmarked Funds Capping and Realignment Act was passed in March, 2017. And the establishments affected by the Act are: The District Assemblies Common Fund (DACF), the Ghana Education Trust Fund (GETFund), the National Health Insurance Fund (NHIF), Petroleum- Related Funds, Ghana Infrastructure Investment Fund (GIIF), Ghana National Petroleum Corporation (GNPC) and the Social Security and National Insurance Fund.

The Minority in Parliament resisted the passing of the Act. James Avedzi, the Deputy Minority Leader at the time, contended that the drop in funding from 7.5 to 5 percent would have an impact for example on the way local assemblies and other Funds are operated.

The passing of the Act has led to a situation where funds from the aforementioned establishments are contributed to a Consolidated Fund to be utilised at the discretion of the Finance Minister. And the Fund that has been hardly hit by the Capping Act is the National Health Insurance Fund.

There were clear negative effects of the “cash and carry” system, which required sick patients to pay out-of-pocket for medical care. Individuals who were not able to pay were not given care. This had irreversible consequences including death. Therefore, the National Health Insurance Scheme was created to offer the people of Ghana free or very inexpensive access to at least basic medical treatment.

But reports are rife that under the Akufo-Addo/Bawumia-led government, health facilities now have to charge fees to even insured clients because they are allegedly heavily owed by the National Health Scheme for their previous treatments of patients who are insured under the NHIS.

And it is because of this unfortunate situation that the presidential candidate of the National Democratic Congress, former President John Dramani Mahama has promised to work towards uncapping the NHIF to make national health insurance more beneficial to Ghanaians if elected the next president.

He said this in Tamale few days ago during the 2024 campaign launch of the National Democratic Congress.

Anthony Obeng Afrane